Disrupting Our Destinies
by rachel.leann
Summary: Season 4. After Elena wakes up in the hospital, she realizes her life will never be the same. Becoming a vampire means life, but what will it cost her? And now that she remembers all the moments she has spent with Damon, which brother will she choose? DE
1. Chapter 1 The Arrived

a/n: Hello all! I thought I would begin my summer by writing a Season 4 fic. I hope you enjoy it. =) As always, please review and follow me on Twitter at Rachel_Leann58  
I'd love to have conversations on there about Vampire Diaries or anything else you want to talk about. Just let me know you're from here and I'll follow you back. ;)

* * *

Chapter One The Arrived

_A little death without mourning__  
__No call, no warning__  
__Baby, a dangerous idea__  
__That almost makes sense._  
-Love is Blindness by U2

_Elena saw Rebekah standing on the bridge and knew there was nothing they could do to stop disaster from happening. Matt swerved to miss her, hit the side of the bridge, and plummeted into the water before Elena could even scream._

_A few moments disappeared as the water flooded the vehicle. Elena struggled to wake up, and when her eyes finally fluttered open, dread filled her body. Visions of the night her parents had died blazed through her head. Trying to not repeat the same terrible fate with Matt, she shook his body in an attempt to wake him up._

_No matter what she did, nothing seemed to work. She tried the door, but it wouldn't open. She then banged her elbow into the window, but all that did was rob her of her last remaining strength. As many times as she tried her seatbelt, it absolutely refused to free her. All of her fears came true as she realized they were both trapped within the vehicle._

_A glimmer of hope arrived, however, when Stefan's face appeared at Matt's door. He tried to pull her out first, but she wouldn't allow that. She had cheated death once. If it was anyone's turn to do the same, she owed it to Matt to try to save him._

_Stefan reluctantly pulled Matt out and disappeared from view. _

_Elena's lungs had been burning for minutes now, and she knew there wasn't much time left. She momentarily thought of all the goodbyes she had never said. If the Salvatore's had really descended from Klaus, they would soon be dead anyway. She said a silent prayer that Matt and Bonnie could find some way to move on and be happy after this._

_And then she let out the last breath of air within her body. The water instantly filled her body. Within seconds, the water lulled her into a deep sleep…_

* * *

Elena opened her eyes and gasped for breath. The pain that burned through her entire body was so great that she closed her eyes again and leaned back into the cold table she could feel below her. Fragments of what had happened glazed through her mind, but she wasn't sure how much of those images were dreams and how much was reality.

Trying to adjust to the intense pain she felt, she remained motionless and tried to breathe. No matter how much oxygen she took into her body, though, she never felt like she had enough.

Then, she heard voices hovering over her. She knew they thought she was still asleep, so she lay there perfectly still and listened intently to the conversation taking place.

"This isn't going to change anything," Damon snapped. "She chose you, brother. She will _always_ choose you."

"She chose me in a rushed situation where she thought she was going to lose Caroline and Tyler too," Stefan retorted, also obviously annoyed. "I can't believe you never told me about all of this."

"It was something you didn't need to know," Damon shrugged.

"And when she wakes up, she's going to realize that all this time you've been someone besides the Damon she's always known. How many moments have you shared together, Damon, that you've made her forget?"

"I-"

Elena couldn't stay silent any longer. Ignoring the still consuming fire inside of her, she opened her eyes, bolted up on the table, and said a little too loudly, "What are you talking about?"

Then, she blinked at the empty room around her. She could have sworn that Damon and Stefan had been standing right above her as she had laid there. But now, she dismissed that conversation as nothing more than a dream.

At least, she was trying to, until she heard their voices again.

"And your blood was the blood that saved her?" Stefan sighed. "It looks like we're now fighting for her on an even playing field."

"It will never be an equal fight," Damon retorted. "And we have to convince her to _feed_ before there even is a fight. She never wanted this."

"And it will still be her decision."

"I can't lose her twice," Damon made clear. "And there are many candidates around here to complete the job."

As their conversation continued, Elena tiptoed away from the cold, metal slab and toward the door at the other end of the room. She pushed the door open slowly before wandering into the hallway beyond.

Here, the bright hospital lights blinded her. She blinked a few times before she could finally keep them open. To her surprise, both Damon and Stefan stood in the hallway and continued to bark at each other.

"Elena."

It was Damon who saw her first, and Damon's arms who first embraced her in a fierce hug. The contact felt too harsh on her, and she immediately recoiled. She took a step back and looked into the pain in Damon's eyes.

Only on a few brief occurrences had he let even her see his true self. Now, he stood there and fought the tears welling up within his eyes. He cursed, turned away, and paced. His sadness had quickly evolved into anger.

"I will kill her," he spat as he raked a hand through his dark hair. "If it wasn't for me, Alaric would have killed her. I should have given her up to him and watched her burn."

"You're talking about Rebekah," Elena spoke softly as her cloudy thoughts cleared. "She was the reason we crashed into the water." Her doe eyes grew wide. "Where is Matt? Is he okay?"

"He's unconscious, but Meredith says he will be fine," Stefan spoke, but his tone didn't sound as hopeful as it should have. The fragments of the conversation she had heard so far came together and caused her to arch an eyebrow.

"And how did _I _survive?" Elena asked. "And why didn't I wake up in a hospital room."

She stared at Stefan and demanded answers, but he didn't move. After several silent moments, Damon stopped pacing, turned to face her, and sighed.

"It seems that your injuries the last time you were here were more serious than Meredith let on. She fed you with vampire blood, _my_ blood, that she had taken from me so she could heal her patients. Stefan didn't save you, this time, when you were trapped in a vehicle underwater. Elena, you _died_."

Shock rippled through her body, and Elena found that she couldn't move. Her head swam with dizziness, and before she knew it, her legs collapsed underneath her. Thankfully, Damon caught her before she hit the ground.

"So I'm a…" she began, but couldn't finish the sentence.

"Not yet," Damon remarked. "You know what has to happen if you want to live."

Before the words even truly registered, she heard Jeremy's voice calling out to her. Her eyes left Damon and turned toward her brother.

"I thought you were dead," Jeremy gasped as he raced to her and hugged her. While the touch still overwhelmed her, this time she didn't back away.

But then something happened Elena wasn't prepared for. Fire erupted within her lungs, blazed through her esophagus, and then flared within her mouth. She felt her body changing, and her will power slipping away. Hands grabbed onto her and pulled her backwards. To her surprise, both Stefan and Damon held tightly onto her arms.

Elena's body tensed then, and she walked back into the mortuary while streaming curses. Both Salvatore brothers followed her inside.

"So this is real?" she finally asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. When Damon nodded, she repeated his action before sighing.

Then, Elena realized several things at once. She collapsed onto the cold metal table, buried her hands in hands, and sat there in silence. Finally, after gathering her courage, she looked up at Damon. She knew he would tell her the truth about the questions she asked, even if they were hard to hear.

"Klaus died," she began slowly. "How much longer do I have with you two?"

"An indefinite amount?" Damon shrugged. "We still feel fine and our time to die as long since passed. Apparently Klaus wasn't the one who sired us."

Elena let out a sigh of relief, before remembering the other question she had to ask. Despite the fact that she wanted to hold on to hope, she tried to push that feeling down and be realistic.

"I died," Elena repeated slowly, her brown eyes looking into Damon's hypnotic blue ones. "So Alaric died too."

Even though it wasn't really a question, Damon nodded somberly in response. At that moment, she wanted to rush to him and comfort him somehow, although she stayed glued to her current spot. Tears welled up within her eyes. Even though she had already mourned for him once, this time it felt far more real. Nothing she could do would bring him back this time; there was no tiny sliver of hope to cling to. Alaric had died the second she had.

For the next few moments, she tried not to think. She tried not to think of the humanity that had been stolen from her, the hearts that were breaking from both her and Alaric's deaths, or the decisions she would have to make in a short time. She tried not to think of the burning sensation consuming her lungs, her anger at Rebekah for standing on that bridge, or the eternity she could have with either Salvatore brother now. She tried not to think of those things, but failed miserably.

The tears continued to fall without pause. She just let them come. With everything that had happened so far, she deserved this time to mourn for the life she could no longer even pretend like she could have.

After what felt like hours, she stood up. As much as she didn't want this lifestyle, as much as she had wanted to have children and grow old with her husband, she still wanted to live. And if becoming a vampire was the only way to truly survive, then she had to make that decision. Even though she had been through so much, she couldn't be selfish and truly die and leave Jeremy alone.

"I suppose it's time to do this then," she said as her eyes glanced from Damon to Stefan. "I'll complete the transition."

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a/n: Review! =)


	2. Chapter 2 Conversations With the Dead

a/n: Thanks for all the amazing reviews to my last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one as well. =) Also, remember to follow me on Twitter at rachel_leann58 to receive updates about the fic and my life. I'd love to talk about anything, so just mention me!

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Chapter Two Conversations With the Dead

_I'm coming up only to hold you under,_  
_I'm coming up only to show you wrong..._  
-The Funeral by Band of Horses

_Two Weeks Later…_

Elena stood in the center of her kitchen and sighed. The place was an absolute mess with papers thrown everywhere, books open precariously to pages that held only a slight interest, and journals lying in awkward places. Ever since she had transitioned, her house had become a headquarters for finding a cure for vampirism. Bonnie currently sat at a chair at the table while leafing through a book.

"I know there has to be a way to reverse this besides death," Bonnie spoke passionately without looking up from the page. "We _will_ find a way to give you back your humanity."

Every day seemed to go like this. After school, Bonnie would come to the house and try to find some way to reverse the act that had taken away Elena's humanity. Caroline would come in at some point and help Elena deal with her new strengths and weaknesses. Before nightfall, both Damon and Stefan would spend moments with her and ask her how she was coping. She would always respond with a smile, and mutter, "I'm fine." Both knew her better than to believe what she said, but neither pushed for more details. They waited patiently for her to give the information herself.

Right after she had transitioned, they had attended Alaric's funeral. It had been absolutely perfect, and both Elena and Jeremy had spent hours afterward holding each other and crying. They were now the only two family members they had left.

The group had also held a secret funeral for Tyler. Caroline had sputtered out the details of his death between choking sobs. At the funeral, her eulogy had been short and to the point. Her tears had told the majority of the story, but her words had filled in the rest. She spoke of her overwhelming love for him, and how he had always been there when she needed him to be. She talked of the sacrifices he had made for her, and how even though he was gone, she had never loved someone so much.

Afterward, Caroline had gone to Carol Lockwood and explained that Tyler had left town. During the conversation, Caroline didn't cry, and she held a bag in her hand to give the façade that she was leaving too. Ever since that day, however, she had resided in Alaric's old room in Elena's home. It wasn't the perfect living condition, but it helped all of them feel a little closer, and a little less alone.

Matt had also been able to come home from the hospital. Most of the time he appeared with a somber expression on his face, as if the knowledge that Elena was a vampire was too much for him to bear.

Bonnie had always known about Elena's feelings to remain human. And she had been there when Elena had first transitioned and told her that they'd find a way to give her back her humanity. But right now, Elena just wanted to accept everything that had happened and try to start this new phase of her life. It seemed like that was her only choice now.

When the kitchen clock chimed that it was now seven o'clock, Bonnie stood up and offered her normal apologetic smile.

"I need to head out so I can work on some homework. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

"Of course," Elena smiled back before she hugged her friend. "Don't study too hard."

"I'll try not to," Bonnie responded with a laugh before she grabbed her bag and left the house.

Only a moment later, Damon appeared inside the kitchen. A frown crossed his otherwise perfect face, and his eyes reflected a growing uneasiness.

"What's wrong, Damon?" Elena asked quickly as she rushed to him. She reached out to touch him, but instantly stopped. Ever since she had transitioned, the feeling of being destroyed by fire consumed her anytime she was around Damon. She made sure to not even test the limits of her restraint by staying as far away from him as possible.

"I just…" he shook his head as if to clear it. "Elijah came to speak to me earlier today. He had heard that you had changed, and wanted to grant both his sympathies and congratulations before he left. While he was there, I thought I would ask him a few questions while he was still with us."

A few seconds later, a very tired looking Caroline appeared in view. Although she had been a huge help to Elena during her adjustment period, Caroline had also spent a good amount of time in her room crying or sleeping. Personally, Elena thought Caroline was dealing with Tyler's death much better than she would have been able to. She wasn't sure how to even begin to mourn over someone she literally could have spent eternity with.

Damon leaned against the wall before continuing, "I _had_ to know which bloodline we were sired from. After everything we have been put through, I think Elijah knew he owed it to me to tell me the truth. But what he said didn't make sense."

"And that was?" Caroline's asked from the kitchen. She was in the process of pouring blood into a glass from one of the many blood bags the refrigerator now contained.

"He found it odd that we didn't die as well. He's absolutely positive that our bloodline didn't come from either himself or Rebekah."

"We know it wasn't Finn," Elena spoke up as she crossed her arms. "We saw what happened to his bloodline."

"Which really only leaves Kol," Caroline shrugged. "So we know who sired us? So we can destroy the rest?"

Damon sighed. "Which is the statement I made to Elijah. But Elijah insisted on the fact that it was Klaus who turned Mary."

"But you're still alive," Elena pointed out. "There's no way Klaus could have turned Mary. If he had, then none of us would be alive."

"It's probably just a story Elijah invented to keep the rest of them safe," Caroline shrugged. "Kol being the originator of our bloodline makes the most sense."

"Regardless," Damon continued, "What Elijah said to me gave me enough pause that I wanted to do some investigating of my own. I told Stefan about what Elijah had said, which instantly made him dash off to have a conversation with Elijah and Rebekah on his own."

Caroline sat down on one of the stools and crossed her legs gracefully. "I understand that at some point we will need to know who we descended from, but right now, no one is coming after us. Why do we need to know right now?"

"Because Elijah and Rebekah are looking for the truth," Damon replied. "They are persistent and want to know how we're still alive. They think we performed some spell to make sure we didn't die."

Realization finally dawned on Elena's face. "So how are we going to figure out for sure who we descended from?"

Damon smiled smugly. "I was hoping Jeremy could help with that."

Elena raised a suspicious eyebrow. "By doing what?"

"Esther has been watching her children from a long time now. She would know who we descended from."

Suppressing a shudder, Elena shook her head. "I'm not letting Jeremy become connected with her. She was psychotic."

"Understatement," Caroline coughed underneath her breath.

"You know it's the only way," Damon spoke up. "If Klaus sired us and died, we have a lot of questions to be answered. And if he didn't, at least we'll know."

"And you actually think we can trust what she says?" Caroline asked. Her expression proved that she clearly thought otherwise.

"It's worth a shot," Damon shrugged after a few moments of silence.

"I'm not going to put Jeremy into that type of danger," Elena replied fiercely. "There's no telling what she can do, even if she is dead."

"I want to do it," Jeremy's voice called from the other side of the room. Elena turned to look at him. "It's not just about their bloodline anymore, Elena. It's _your_ bloodline now too. If something is up with Klaus' death, I want to know too."

"Let's at least wait and get Bonnie here," Elena spoke up. "That way if something goes wrong, we'll have her here to help."

"That isn't going to happen," Damon made clear. "If something happened and we are from Klaus' bloodline, if some form of spell was cast to keep us safe, I'm not sure Bonnie needs to be here when that revelation is made. I will be forever thankful of that, but it also means she hid that information from us. Why hide something that helped us?"

Elena had a few explanations, but chose to keep them silent instead.

"What if she doesn't want to talk to Jeremy?" Caroline spoke as the group moved into the living room and sat down. "She has to push through for Jeremy to make contact, correct?"

"Jeremy's human," Damon shrugged. "Maybe she'll hope he will complete the task she set out to do."

"She's smart," Elena said as she sunk back into the couch. Damon and Jeremy sat there as well and she tried her hardest not to touch Damon's skin. "I doubt she'll believe anything we have to say."

Jeremy sat up straight as he closed his eyes. Elena watched as her brother blocked out everything around him and focused on the task at hand. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and smirked slightly, apparently pleased with himself.

"I'm sure you know what-"

Stopping mid-sentence, Jeremy's eyes grew to the size of saucers. The lights in the house flickered before finally going off and staying that way.

"Break the connection!" Elena shouted as she jumped up. Although she tried to get to Jeremy to shake him to stop, she ended up tripping and falling onto Damon. Annoyed, she pushed herself off. Fire burned along her skin in every place it contacted with Damon.

"Jeremy!" she screamed as she shook his shoulders. "JEREMY!"

Finally, Jeremy snapped out of his trace. The lights flickered back on, and he blinked his eyes frantically. "Whoa."

For a few moments, they all remained motionless. Finally, Damon spoke, "I take it you found her?"

"Yeah," Jeremy replied slowly as he shook his head to clear it. "She wasn't happy about the things that have happened."

"And what _has_ happened?" Elena asked. She still stood over her brother, as if standing over him protected him somehow from everything that had happened.

Jeremy's brown eyes looked up to Elena with a seriousness that took her by surprise. Whatever was coming wasn't good.

"She spent the majority of the time calling us traitors," Jeremy spoke slowly. "But the other things she told me were quite clear. Someone, my guess is Bonnie, cast a spell on Klaus before Alaric stabbed him with that dagger." Letting out a deep breath, he frowned at the group. "When he was staked, Klaus didn't die. He's still alive somehow."

The shock of it almost knocked Elena backwards. Collapsing onto the floor, she stared wide eyed at the group. The only person who didn't have a somber expression on her face was Caroline. Hope spread out from her eyes and lit up her entire face. As if moving through fog, she slowly stood up and glanced to Elena with shock on her face.

"If Klaus is alive…" she trailed off as she shook her head. Her next few words came out as a gasp that Elena had to strain her ears to even hear. "Tyler's alive too."

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a/n: Had to catch up everything a little. The story will start moving quicker in the next few chapters. As always, review! =)


	3. Chapter 3 The Point of No Return

a/n: Hello all! I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, please follow me on Twitter at rachel_leann58

Also, please review. ;)

* * *

Chapter 3 The Point of No Return

_But would you leave me,  
If I told you what I've done?  
And would you leave me,  
If I told you what I've become?_  
-No Light, No Light- Florence + the Machine

After Bonnie had left Elena's house, she had driven to the same place she had been driving to for the past two weeks. She parked her car on the shoulder of the road, locked it, and then glanced at the forest in front of her. The place seemed ominous with its tall trees that led only to shadows. Taking a deep breath, she strolled into the darkness.

Tonight, a sharp wind broke through the landscape and send shivers up her spine. After all that had happened, she thought she would have been used to scary situations by now. Unfortunately, she wasn't. Even with all the power she possessed, this forest still scared her.

After walking for about twenty minutes, she came to a small clearing in the trees. She stopped immediately and surveyed the shadows for the person she knew was there.

"Klaus," she snapped. "There's no reason to delay."

A laughing Tyler stepped from the shadows. As much as Bonnie wanted to think that this was the man who had stolen the heart of her best friend, she knew it wasn't. Currently, he was just a person Bonnie wanted nothing to do with.

"Come on, Bonnie," he smirked. "It's been two weeks. The hostility really should have ended a long time ago."

Bonnie frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You know why I'm here."

"And I'm very glad you came," Klaus retorted. "This is the last night, isn't it? We better make this special."

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie reached into the bag she had brought with her and produced a knife. "All you have to do is drink my blood one more time and you'll regain all the strength you had before. Then, we can start finding a way to get you back into your body."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I want to stay in this body for a while."

"Then I'll tell everyone the truth," Bonnie responded fiercely. "You don't get to call the shots."

"But don't I?" he mocked. "I'll return and pretend to be Tyler. No one will know that I'm still alive or where I'm at. Your little group will remain safe, and if a problem arises, I will take care of that."

"Why would I agree to that?"

He grinned. "If you don't, I'll tell your friends the truth. And then I'll mercilessly slaughter them all." His grin continued to tug at the corner of his lips. "I may start with Elena, since she is no longer a use to me."

Shaking Bonnie clenched her fists around the hilt of the small knife. None of this seemed fair, but she had known who she had been making a deal with the second she had decided to save Klaus. With her desire to save her friends, had come monumental consequences.

"Can I at least know why?" Bonnie finally found the strength to ask. "Why stay in Tyler's form? You can't accomplish everything you want to while you're still in his body."

Something close to sadness flashed past his eyes. He masked the emotion quickly, however, and only shrugged in response. "We all have our demons, Bonnie. Maybe I just want to escape them for a while."

Although she didn't believe his words, she knew her time to ask questions had passed. Mustering up her remaining courage, she closed the distance between her and Klaus. Then, she swiped the knife across her hand. Making sure to give Klaus a death glare, she offered her hand to him. With a smile on his lips, he took her hand into his own and drunk.

* * *

Elena stood in her room and tried to find some form of calm. The rest of the night had been chaotic with Damon trying to figure out how Klaus could still be alive, Caroline wondering why Tyler hadn't returned to her, and Elena staring at Jeremy with a form of hopelessness in her gaze. No matter how many plans they had, they always seemed to be steps behind the enemy. Right now, that just wore her out.

After an hour of the group asking questions that no one seemed to know the answer to, Damon had left to go meet up with Stefan. Stefan's meeting with Elijah and Rebekah had apparently been unhelpful, and Damon wanted to meet up with his brother to tell him the truth and discuss how they would proceed.

To make things worse, Elena wanted to talk to Bonnie about all of this, but knew there would be some consequence the spell produced that would put them all in jeopardy once again. And there was also some reason Bonnie hadn't told the group about the spell. That made Elena nervous as well. It always felt like the second they were free from some enemy, someone new showed up to take their place. Evil never seemed to leave Mystic Falls.

A floorboard creaked behind her, and Elena turned around to see Stefan standing there. She offered him a weak smile that she hoped covered her exhaustion.

"Damon told me about Esther," Stefan began slowly. "It seems like we'll never be free from Klaus."

"But why hasn't he shown up?" Elena asked as she raked a hand through her long brown hair. "It's been two weeks since the night we thought he died. Why hasn't he come back to seek vengeance? How are we still safe?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. He crossed the room toward her, and Elena felt chills race down her spine. She took a step backwards before she could stop herself and watched as pain etched across Stefan's eyes. Despite the fact that she had chosen him before her transformation, they had yet to say anything about that decision since she had actually become a vampire. Because of that she refrained from letting either brother touch her, mostly because she wasn't sure how she would react to either of their touches.

To make things worse, she could remember things now that had been hidden to her before. She remembered Damon standing and talking to her the night she had fought with Matt. He had said she had wanted someone to consume her, and she had agreed. Also, there were fragments of a time when Damon had told her that he had loved her, that his love for her was selfish, and that she had to forget because of that. Whether these moments were actual memories or dreams, she wasn't sure. Part of her wanted to ask Damon about them, but the other part was scared of what she would find out. Stefan's words from when she first woke up still lingered in her mind.

_How many moments have you shared with her, Damon, that you've made her forget? _

"Do you need anything before I leave?" Stefan asked softly to break the silence that had fallen. His eyes implored her for any sort of invitation to stay, but Elena knew she couldn't ask that of him.

"I think I'll be okay," Elena replied with a thin smile on her lips. Stefan turned to leave, and Elena bit the corner of her lower lip. "Be careful, Stefan," she found herself calling.

Hesitating for only a moment, he shifted enough to glance back into her eyes. "You too, Elena."

After Stefan's footsteps echoed down the stairs, Elena sank onto her bed and let out a deep breath. As much as she wanted to choose a brother and begin her life with him, the idea seemed almost impossible. Now, her decision would change their friendship for all eternity. She would no longer be the girl they loved and watched die as a human. Now, she was a vampire too, and her decision could cause the brothers to never speak again for the rest of eternity. It felt like the entire weight of the universe was pressed down on her shoulders. When she made her decision, she had to make sure it was the right one.

Letting out another deep breath, Elena closed her eyes and just let her thoughts consume her.

* * *

Caroline raced into her room and shut the door behind her. The quiet that engulfed her then was deafening. Without really registering what she was doing, she grabbed her purse and moved to exit the room. Elena's car keys lay on an end table in the living room, and since Caroline couldn't be seen driving her own vehicle, she instantly grabbed those. She had just touched the doorknob when she heard a voice behind her.

"So where do you think you're going?" Damon asked as he moved out of the shadows. Caroline offered him a quick shrug in response.

"I need to know what Bonnie did and why Tyler hasn't come back to me. There has to be a reason for it," she replied with crossed arms.

Damon narrowed his eyes at her. "That isn't the whole story. What else is going on?"

"Nothing," Caroline replied simply as she turned to leave. She opened the door, but Damon shut it back quickly.

"Tell me the truth," Damon almost growled at her. His face was only inches from hers and she refused to be intimidated by him.

"That is the truth, Damon," she said sharply. "I loved Tyler, and was even going to leave this town for him. I need to know why he hasn't come back."

Damon's face lit up with both surprise and satisfaction at discovering the answer. "You weren't going to leave with him, were you?" he asked slyly.

"_What_?"

"You told him you were going to leave with him, but you really weren't going to. Not when it came down to it."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Elena was in trouble, Damon. As much as I wanted to leave with Tyler, I couldn't. And then I thought he was dying, and I was a little relieved. I was glad that I didn't have to make the decision between leaving with him and helping Elena. Now that he should be alive, I _need_ to find out where he is. I _need_ to make this better."

"Fine," Damon shrugged as he stepped back and released his hold on the door. "Just be prepared for whatever you find. I doubt the answer will be good."

"Thank you," Caroline mouthed before she opened the door and dashed outside.

With as much stealth as she could manage, she jumped into Elena's car and drove away into the night. The reflections of trees and streetlamps reflected across her windshield as she sped by them and created a scene far too serene for the way she felt inside. She had too many questions she needed answers to, and an overwhelming dread engulfed her as she realized she probably wouldn't get any of those answers.

As she pulled into Bonnie's driveway, her trepidation increased. Bonnie's car was nowhere to be found. Trying to calm her quickly beating heart, Caroline pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Bonnie's number.

Her friend picked up on the third ring.

"Hey Caroline, is everything okay?" Bonnie's voice spoke from the other side.

"Yeah," Caroline said dismissively. "I just wanted to make sure you made it home safely."

"Thanks," Bonnie laughed lightly. "I'm actually in my room now studying."

"And your vehicle is alright?"

"It's currently in driveway," Bonnie replied slowly. "Caroline. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Caroline said as she shook her head angrily. "Thanks for answering my questions."

"Of course."

Before Bonnie could say anything else, Caroline disconnected the call. She had come to find answers, and unfortunately, she had found far more than she had intended.

As she pulled out of the driveway, one thought echoed through her mind: She hoped Bonnie had a good reason for lying to them all.

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a/n: Review. ;)


	4. Chapter 4 The Lies We Weave

a/n: Thanks so much for the reviews! I love hearing your opinions on what I'm writing. =)

Also, follow me on twitter at rachel_leann58  
I'll follow back as long as you tell me you're from here. And I'd love to talk to you about anything!

As always, enjoy! And please review!

* * *

Chapter 4 The Lies We Weave

_It was so easy and the words so sweet…_  
-Eet by Regina Spektor

The school day had been very long, and Bonnie was exhausted as she opened the door to Elena's house. Thinking this would be like any other day, she made her way to the kitchen where she had piled her many books. Instead of finding Elena like she normally did, she saw something completely different.

Almost everyone stood in the kitchen. They had obviously been in a heated discussion about something, and only stopped when they noticed Bonnie's entrance. Caroline, a glare on her face, turned away from Damon and toward Bonnie. Her mood didn't improve even when she spoke,

"Nice of you to finally join us."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, trying to decipher what was going on. "What were you all talking about?"

As Elena stepped forward, she realized the next few minutes probably weren't going to be good. Elena held the same frown everyone else did, but there was also a tiredness in her features.

"We know Klaus is alive," Elena finally sighed. "So please just tell us what's going on."

Although Bonnie had known they would find out the truth at some point, she had rather hoped that it would be at a more distant time in the future.

"It's a long story," Bonnie began.

"And we have more than enough time," Damon retorted.

Letting out her own sigh, Bonnie nodded her head and began.

"I had been looking for a way to keep those I care about alive, even if Klaus were to be killed. It quickly became evident that no spell, no matter how strong, could keep you all alive if Klaus died. So I changed tactics," she shrugged. "I started looking for ways to keep Klaus alive, even if he was stabbed. I found one spell, an insanely powerful one, but it required someone who was connected to Klaus to be used. Although multiple people in this room share his blood, your connections with him weren't strong enough."

"Tyler," Caroline spoke in revelation. "That's why he hasn't come back."

"Exactly," Bonnie replied. "I had to use him. He didn't die when Klaus was stabbed, but was severely weakened. Every night for the past two weeks I have been meeting up with him and helping to restore his strength. I didn't want to tell anyone until I was absolutely certain he was back to himself again."

"But that doesn't explain what happened to Klaus. I saw his body catch on fire," Damon said.

"A cheap parlor trick meant to fool Alaric," Bonnie replied quickly. "Klaus' body is still intact. And he is still very much alive. He could be anywhere by now."

Damon eyed her suspiciously, but didn't make any further comments. Bonnie was deeply thankful for this. Although what she had said had been mostly truth, she had been forced to throw in a few lies as well. She hated lying to her friends, but didn't want to incur the wrath of Klaus by telling her friends what he was truly up to.

"That still doesn't explain why he hasn't come back to try to kill us all," Elena spoke as she collapsed onto the kitchen stool nearby. "He has every right to come back and destroy us."

"Maybe…" Stefan began, but trailed off.

"What?"

"Maybe he's hiding from something," Stefan finally said softly.

"But what would he be hiding from?" Caroline asked.

Damon's eyes looked across the room and contacted with Bonnie's. "Maybe he's hiding from whatever is coming here next."

* * *

Jeremy stood inside the Mystic Grill and scrubbed a spot off of the table he was bending over. It was about four o'clock, and his shift had started only moments earlier, but he was already exhausted.

Straightening up, he wiped his brow from the sweat that lingered there. The day was a warm one, warmer than any of the other days this week had been, and it made Jeremy long for a time where they could all be at peace and enjoy this time in their lives. Unfortunately, he knew that their lives would never be "normal." Too many things had happened, they had seen far too many deaths, for anything like that to ever happen.

Jeremy had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had barely noticed the man who had entered the room. After a few moments, Jeremy's eyes glanced over to the man who sat in the corner booth. As his mouth creased into a frown, he threw his soapy dish cloth back onto the table. Then, he marched toward the man.

There were few things that ever seemed to bother Jeremy while at work, but currently, this man broke several of those rules. First, he wore a black fedora that cast his face into shadow. Second, plastic glistened from around his eyes and gave away the fact that he wore sunglasses. Jeremy guessed from the shape and reflections that he could see, that the sunglasses were Wayfarers. And last, he wore a tight-fitting white button-up shirt that covered broad muscles. The top buttons of his shirt were open to reveal a crisp white tank top underneath. Jerks like this man came in on a regular basis, normally demanded alcohol, and made rude remarks the entire time. If Jeremy could find a reason to kick this man out, he would definitely do it.

At least that was his intention until he moved closer to the man. Something about him seemed oddly familiar, even if only slightly so. He stopped a few steps from the table and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Have a seat," Tyler's voice came from the shadows. Blinking in surprise, Jeremy slid into the booth.

"I thought you were _dead_," Jeremy replied. He knew Esther had said Klaus was still alive, but believing Tyler could still be alive too was a longshot. It was something he could barely accept now, even though he saw him with his own eyes. "And since when do you wear a fedora?"

Tyler let out one laugh as he leaned back in his seat. "This town knows what I am. I couldn't really waltz in here wearing a "kill me, I'm a hybrid" shirt, now could I?"

There was a freeness in his voice Jeremy had never heard before. It sounded nice to hear it, especially in the gloom of all he knew Klaus could do.

"I assume you being here has something to do with Bonnie?" Jeremy asked casually.

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "She saved my life. It took me a while to recover, but I'm completely myself again."

"And you had a death wish in showing up here in broad daylight?" Jeremy laughed. "Why not go see Caroline? You have to know she's missed you."

Tyler tensed up at those words. Although he hid his uneasiness quickly, Jeremy had still noticed his change in demeanor.

"I'll probably see her after this," Tyler shrugged. "But after pretending to be dead for two weeks, I think I need a drink first."

Jeremy smiled at that. "I'll be back in a second then," he grinned. "I think we have exactly what you need."

* * *

Elena laid in the middle of the football field and stared at the sky. It had been a few hours since she had talked with Bonnie about Klaus being alive, and she had just needed to get away from it all. After driving for half an hour, she had ended up here.

As she thought of how simple her life had been before meeting Damon and Stefan, she twirled the silver ring that rested on her right ring finger. Not long after transitioning Bonnie had made it for her so she could be out during the daytime hours. Even though she had been wearing the ring for almost two weeks, it still seemed foreign on her body, as if it would never really belong to her.

The sunshine, as it beat down on her body, felt the same way. She could still feel the pressure of its heat on her skin, but it wasn't as peaceful as it had once been. Her skin felt slightly uncomfortable as the sun glistened across it, as if somehow the rays could dispel all the darkness that now existed within her body.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. When she did, she could smell him; the distinct smell that comprised of leather and sandalwood and time. It was a scent that now consumed her and flooded her senses. She found it strange, that when she had been human, that she had always thought he smelled of other things. Now, however, she could place every small smell that made up his distinctive scent. Breathing him in, she knew that whether or not she ended up with him, that she'd never be able to forget him.

"Please tell me nothing bad has happened," she mumbled without opening her eyes.

"Nothing bad has happened," Damon's voice came in reply. She felt him lay down beside her. Instantly, she was acutely aware of how close every inch of his body was to hers. She breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled to try to calm her growing nervousness. They were far too close now, and it took all of her focus to keep herself from freaking out.

"You shouldn't be out here like this," Elena finally spoke softly. She opened her eyes and turned to him, concern evident beneath her chocolate orbs. "We still don't know what Alaric told the council. If they see you, they might try to kill you."

"Is that worry I hear?" Damon asked, slightly amused. "They know where Stefan and I live. If they wanted us dead, they would have shown up by now."

As the silence enveloped them, Elena tried to think of something besides the last time they had been like this, but those memories flooded her mind. She remembered him reaching out, gently touching her hand and taking it into his own. She could remember her own hesitation, her own fear. And then she had left to try to find some form of escape from the flames that had devoured her. But he had followed her, she had kissed him, and he had consumed her.

She found herself speaking the words before she could stop herself,

"Did we meet first?"

"What?" Damon asked in surprise. He propped himself up on his arm so he could look down at her.

"Did we meet before I met Stefan?"

A frown crossed his lips, and Elena immediately had the thought that he was too beautiful to ever frown. Part of her wanted to take the scowl away, but just like always, she kept her distance.

"Yes," he finally spoke in resignation.

"Why did you never tell me?" She propped herself against her arm as well so they were looking at each other at almost the same eye level.

"It never mattered." He got up quickly and started walking away. Mortified, Elena jumped up and walked after him. She grabbed onto his wrist and turned him back to her. Both seemed surprised by the fact that she had touched him. Fire burned along her veins, starting at her fingertips and flaring out throughout her body.

"Of course it mattered," she found herself replying. "Things would be so different now…"

Without warning, he closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply. Elena emitted a gasp from her lips and reached out to him to steady herself, but he had already pulled away.

Determination lined his eyes now as he looked down at her.

"I was just going to give up on you, accept that you had chosen Stefan, and try to find some way to heal from it. But things aren't going to be that easy, Elena. I'm not giving up, and whatever decision you made before you transitioned is void. A lot of things have changed, and you're going to have to make that decision again."

He turned to walk away. Stunned silent, Elena watched him walk away with no idea as to what to say to him. He was close to ten yards away from her when she heard a swoosh echo through the stadium. When she searched for its source, she saw an arrow strike the ground between them. She looked around, searching for who had shot the arrow, but found no one.

Damon had stopped too. His gaze flickered now from the arrow, to Elena, and to the area surrounding them. Finally, with a shrug, he walked over to the arrow. A note was attached to it, Elena saw now, and Damon unraveled the paper and read.

Afterward, he swore. His gaze returned to Elena and faked a smile.

"Guess the council knows more than we thought they did," he muttered unhappily.

"Why?" Worry lined her voice as she took a step toward him. "What does it say?"

Damon cleared his voice before reciting, "We know the truth. Turn yourselves in to be killed for your crimes or we'll kill those you love. One _human_ at a time."

* * *

a/n: Review. =)


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